Nowadays, in cities around the world such as in New York, in Tokyo, in Shanghai, in Dubai etc, structural engineers build skyscrapers for residential as well as business purposes. The design, the evolution of construction and the style of architecture are drawing attention as many of these buildings are seen as “signature” buildings.

There are two very impressive skyscrapers, but not only for their height or design. The twin towers have 145 meters height and 29 floors in Abu Dhabi. They are known as the Al Bahr Towers and they do something really weird, because ... they can avoid the sun!!

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One World Trade Center (WTC) was awarded the 2015 Best Tall Building Award for the U.S. from The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). WSP, a global engineering and professional services organization, served as structural engineer for the 104-story office tower on behalf of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Construction has started on one of Manhattans newest skyscrapers. Located at 53 W. 53rd St. the MoMA Tower, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, is to be completed sometime in 2018. Featuring a tapered profile with a roofline staggered across three irregular levels, the 1050-foot tall (82-storey) structure will house 139 apartments and is Nouvel’s first skyscraper in NYC. The tower will also have new public gallery spaces on the second, fourth and fifth floors, into which the neighboring Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) will expand its galleries.

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At 270-feet and €60M plans for the world’s tallest wooden structure, to be built next year, have been unveiled. Designed by Rudiger Lainer and Partner the wooden skyscraper will be built in the Seestadt Aspern area of Vienna, Austria and will house apartments, a hotel, restaurants and offices. It is expected that 76% of the building will be made from wood, which will save roughly 2,800 tonnes of CO2 emissions when compared to an equivalent concrete structure.